Expressing its disagreement with the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya dispute, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that it would examine the judgement in detail and take appropriate decision as to whether a review petition ought to be filed.
“Despite the facts produced by the AIMPLB being accepted by the court, the judgement has gone against us and the land of Babri Masjid has been given to the temple by exercising extraordinary discretionary powers of Supreme Court. This is painful and we were taken by surprise by the final conclusion of the court,” said a AIMPLB communiqué.
Listing evidences presented by the AIMPLB in the court, the statement said, “Various findings recorded in the judgement are in favour of Muslim parties.”
It said the contentions of the Muslim parties, such as the mosque being constructed in 1528 and namaz being offered in the mosque till December, 1949 had been accepted.
“The Supreme Court has also accepted the fact that the masjid/building was used as a mosque after 1856 till 1949. The court has accepted that the idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the mosque on the intervening night of December 22/23, 1949.
“The court has further accepted our contention that neither the report of the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) nor faith can be the basis to decide a title suit. Further, it has also been held that the very spot or vicinity of land on which Lord Ram was claimed to have been born, has no distinct legal personality. Further, our contention that even travellers’ account cannot be the basis to decide a title, has also been upheld by the Court.
“These contentions have been consistent throughout the proceedings including the fact that isha namaz was also offered in the building on the night of December 22. 1949,” the AIMPLB communiqué said.
Moreover, it said that the Nirmohi Akhara in its suits filed in 1885 and 1941 had accepted the existence of the mosque at the site and its claim in the said suits was that the chabutara in the outer courtyard of the mosque was the birth place of Lord Ram.
The AIMPLB said, “With anguish, we state that in this historical background where the idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the mosque in 1949, no effective legal proceeding was taken.”